to Marianna, yet I believe he was not, till that evening, aware of the extent to which it had gone.  It is very well known that almost all the married women have a lover; but it is usual to keep up the forms, as in other nations.  I did not, therefore, know what the devil to say.  I could not out with the truth, out of regard to her, and I did not choose to lie for my sake;—­besides, the thing told itself.  I thought the best way would be to let her explain it as she chose (a woman being never at a loss—­the devil always sticks by them)—­only determining to protect and carry her off, in case of any ferocity on the part of the Signor.  I saw that he was quite calm.  She went to bed, and next day—­how they settled it, I know not, but settle it they did.  Well—­then I had to explain to Marianna about this never-to-be-sufficiently-confounded sister-in-law; which I did by swearing innocence, eternal constancy, &c. &c.  But the sister-in-law, very much discomposed with being treated in such wise, has (not having her own shame before her eyes) told the affair to half Venice, and the servants (who were summoned by the fight and the fainting) to the other half.  But, here, nobody minds such trifles, except to be amused by them.  I don’t know whether you will be so, but I have scrawled a long letter out of these follies.

     “Believe me ever,” &c.

* * * * *

LETTER 260.  TO MR. MURRAY.

     “Venice, January 24. 1817.

“I have been requested by the Countess Albrizzi here to present her with ‘the Works;’ and wish you therefore to send me a copy, that I may comply with her requisition.  You may include the last published, of which I have seen and know nothing, but from your letter of the 13th of December.

“Mrs. Leigh tells me that most of her friends prefer the two first Cantos.  I do not know whether this be the general opinion or not (it is not hers); but it is natural it should be so.  I, however, think differently, which is natural also; but who is right, or who is wrong, is of very little consequence.

“Dr. Polidori, as I hear from him by letter from Pisa, is about to return to England, to go to the Brazils on a medical speculation with the Danish consul.  As you are in the favour of the powers that be, could you not get him some letters of recommendation from some of your government friends to some of the Portuguese settlers?  He understands his profession well, and has no want of general talents; his faults are the faults of a pardonable vanity and youth.  His remaining with me was out of the question:  I have enough to do to manage my own scrapes; and as precepts without example are not the most gracious homilies, I thought it better to give him his conge:  but I know no great harm of him, and some good.  He is clever and accomplished; knows his profession,